Written By: LJ
Dusty pulled into the driveway and parked his truck. He got out, walked to the front of the house and stood beside his older partner. “What’s up, Den?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” Dennis answered in a bewildered voice, looking at the debris on the front veranda.
“Where do you suppose all that junk came from?” Dusty asked as he surveyed the six bales of straw, two pumpkins and a large pile of dried cornstalks.
Before Dennis could respond, Skyy came around the corner of the house dragging a ladder. “Here is the answer now I bet,” was the big man’s guess.
“Hi, Den! Hi, Dusty!” Skyy’s face lit up as he dropped the ladder and ran over to greet his partners. “Guess what I’m doing?”
“We can’t, so why don’t you just tell us, Buddy,” Dusty laughingly suggested after hugging the younger man.
“It’s fall! I’m decorating for Thanksgiving. The driver from the Farmer’s Market delivered all this about half an hour ago. Mr. Mulligan gave it to me for free. Wasn’t that good of him?” Skyy was bouncing with energy and anxious to get started. “It’s allowed, right?” He was suddenly uncertain.
“Yes, it was kind of him and yes, you can decorate, Sport. But I don’t want you up on that ladder unless one of us is home with you. It’s just a safety precaution, okay?” Dennis assured him.
“Okay! Maybe we can all work on it together after supper,” Skyy hinted as he followed the other men into the house.
“What would you like help with, Buddy?” Dusty asked, putting his lunchbox on the counter and turning towards the sink to wash his hands.
“Hmm, maybe tying the cornstalks to the veranda posts and moving the bales of straw around; unless you’d prefer to cut out the pumpkins.” Skyy smirked as he squeezed in beside the other man to wash his hands too. He knew that Dusty never cared how much grease he got on his hands but hated almost every other kind of dirt.
“Forget it, kid! I’m not playing around with pumpkin guts. Besides, it’s too early to make jack-o-lanterns. You should wait until closer to Halloween to do that.” Dusty tore some paper towels off the roll and handed a couple to Skyy.
“What’s for supper, Sport?” Dennis asked, coming into the room. Sticking to his usual routine, he had already been upstairs and changed out of his suit into jeans and a Henley shirt. He wrapped his arms around Skyy and commented. “It’s a good thing my grandmother isn’t anywhere near you. She’d be pinching those apple-red cheeks of yours.”
Skyy chuckled at Dennis’ comments, squirmed out of the other man’s arms and set a large serving bowl on the table. “I made a chicken stew with dumplings. The weather is getting colder now and I thought we’d like some nice warm, comfort food.”
“This was really good, Skyy. Where did you get the recipe?” Dusty inquired.
“Off the Internet and I got a lot of decorating ideas, too.”
“You’re going to have to make this again, sweetie. It was delicious,” Dennis said, pushing back from the table. “By the way, I got a phone call from a Mr. Chamberlain this morning. He’s in charge of renting the apartments at the tenement and he was looking for someone to empty out Earl’s place now that it’s no longer being occupied. Apparently Earl was moved into a hospice last week and listed Skyy as his only remaining family member. They want to move in a new tenant before the end of the month, so I told him we would be available to clean it out this Saturday. It will probably take us most of the day, but maybe we can get Dominic and his partners to help us. What do you say, boys?”
“Okay by me,” Dusty answered as he gathered up the dishes and took them over to the sink.
“Me too!” Skyy got up from the table, slipped on his jacket and stepped into his sneakers.
“Just where do you think you’re going, Sport?”
“Back outside to decorate. I promise not to get on the ladder until you guys come to help me. You know it wouldn’t take too long to finish if you left the dishes so we could all work together.” Skyy waited expectantly and his patience was rewarded when the two other men decided to join him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Dennis stood in the doorway of the master bedroom, looking at his sleeping partners. ‘What’s wrong with this picture?’ he thought and then answered his own question. ‘It’s that neither of these boys should be sleeping.’
“Okay, you guys, you should have been up long ago. We have a busy day ahead of us,” Dennis said, dragging the bedclothes off Dusty and tugging a second, fully clothed man to his feet. “Skyy, are you feeling all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why are you asking?” Skyy asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Because I sent you up here twenty minutes ago to wake up Dusty and you crawled back in bed and fell asleep. You’ve never done that before and I was wondering if you were sick or something.” Dennis stooped to kiss the younger man’s forehead and checked to see if he was feverish at the same time.
“Nah, D just looked so comfortable and I felt like cuddling for a few minutes. I hadn’t planned on falling asleep,” Skyy explained as he stretched and yawned. “Ever since you went along with Dominic’s suggestion that I change my sleeping habits, I sometimes doze off at the weirdest times.”
Dusty, who had been watching the exchange from the other side of the bed, laughed as he got up and went into their en suite.
“What time do we have to meet the guys, Den?” Dusty shouted from the other room.
“In about forty minutes, so get a move on. You still have to eat breakfast, which is presently getting cold,” Dennis answered, ushering Skyy into the hallway and steering him towards the stairs.
“You have five minutes, Dusty!” Dennis called out over his shoulder.
Half an hour later, Dennis pulled out of their driveway. He was driving Dusty’s truck while the younger men finished eating their toast.
“Do you think there will be enough time for me to visit with my family, Den?” Skyy asked.
“I’m not sure, Sport. It depends on what we have to do to empty the place. I have no idea how much stuff will have to be taken to the dump or how much can be salvageable enough to donate to those who may need it. You’ll see Niko, as Mr. Chamberlain has left the key with him and we’ll stop by to say hello to everyone else to remind them about dinner at our place on Monday. How’s that?”
“Okay, I guess,” Skyy agreed and seeing a familiar truck parked by the curb, exclaimed. “Hey, Dominic and the others are already here!”
Dennis had barely stopped the truck before Dusty was out and running over to greet their friends.
“All right, Dennis, where do we start?” Dominic asked as all six men crowded into the gloomy, stale-smelling apartment. It seemed to be understood that Dennis was in charge of the operation.
“We’ll move out the bigger pieces of furniture and deliver anything still usable to the shelter. But first let’s get one room empty to have somewhere for the articles to be disposed of,” Dennis instructed, heading down the hall towards the bedroom area. “This looks like a good place to start,” he suggested as he walked over to open a window and let in some fresh air.
It didn’t take long for the smaller of the two bedrooms to be emptied and scrubbed down.
“Was this your room, Skyy?” Dusty asked, carrying out the last article.
“It was before my mother left but then it became Earl’s,” Skyy answered, taking the bucket of dirty water and dumping it into the bathtub.
Dusty looked at Dennis, thinking it was strange that Skyy had been made to give up his room. “So.....did you and your father share a room, Buddy?”
“Nope! The bigger bedroom was his and he really wasn’t into sharing.” Skyy shrugged as he filled the bucket with cleanser and warm water.
Dennis waited until the other men were out of the apartment before inquiring. “Skyy, where did you sleep?” He suspected he was not going to like the response.
Coming out of the bathroom, Skyy pointed to a door across the hall. “In there! He said that was plenty of room for me because I wasn’t big enough to need more.”
Opening the door, Dennis stepped into the dark room. Fumbling around for the light switch, he realized it was only accessible from the hall. Flicking it on, he found himself standing in a walk-in storage area. Along the back wall was an old army cot with a small night table beside it. A hot water tank stood in one corner. The bed had been stripped and the two shelves above it were empty.
“It used to look better than this,” a voice spoke up behind him. “But I guess he took my pictures down.”
Looking around, Dennis couldn’t visualize anything making this hole-in-the-wall less depressing. “What did you have on the wall, Sport?”
“Just things I cut out of old magazines; mostly scenery, flowers, nature stuff to brighten the place up some. You might have noticed that this is a kinda dumpy area of town. The buildings look awful because of the peeling paint and there’s trash all over the place. The other apartments in this building are much nicer than this one ‘cause they’re cleaner, happier places. Kinda like your house, Den.” Skyy smiled contentedly as he thought about the changes in his life. “Should we take out the bits and pieces in here next?”
“In a few minutes, honey.” Dennis was having a hard time dealing with this latest piece of the puzzle from Skyy’s past.
“Okay, I’ll just go and start on the kitchen.”
Ten minutes later, Dennis was still sitting on the cot when Dominic appeared beside him. “What’s the matter, Dennis?”
“Look around, Dom. This was Skyy’s room; only it’s not a room, it’s a cell! It doesn’t even have a goddamned window and the light is controlled from the outside. I was wondering how much time Skyy spent in here with the light off. It’s easy to see why the little guy is afraid of the dark.” Dennis was absolutely outraged. “Skyy appears to take it all in stride and doesn’t seem to think there is anything wrong with it.”
“It’s how he lived, Den. He got used to it and you’re going to have to try and put it out of your mind,” Dominic advised. “Look, while I empty this out, why don’t you go help your youngest Brat in the kitchen. The other three boys are removing the last of the items from the master bedroom.”
“Yeah, I better get out of here. God, I wonder what other miserable surprises await us today!” Dennis walked away, shaking his head in disgust.
“Hey, Den. I hope you’re here to help me! There’s not much left in the way of food but we’re going to need some cartons to put the dishes and pots and pans in,” Skyy explained. He was standing on the counter and turned to reach back into the top cupboard to finish wiping off the shelves.
Picking up an article from the kitchen table, Dennis commented, “Your father must have really liked oatmeal to have purchased it in the twenty kilo bags.”
“Nah, he hated the stuff and Earl only ate it now and again,” Skyy said, jumping down off the counter and coming over to stand next to his partner. “He used to make a little pot of it every morning just for me. I’d have half of it while it was still warm and the rest after school. Of course it was cold by then, but I still ate it.”
“You ate the same thing every single day, Skyy?” Dennis questioned in a tight, bitter voice.
Skyy was confused. He didn’t understand what he had done wrong or why Dennis was so angry. “I was allowed, Den. I-I’d go hungry if I didn’t eat it.”
Dennis immediately realized the younger man was misinterpreting whom his anger was directed at. He pulled Skyy into a warm hug. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” Dennis looked over to see Dusty standing in the doorway. From the expression on the other man’s face, he was aware that both of them were remembering the first time Dennis had prepared a breakfast of hot cereal after Skyy had come to live with them.
“Eat up, Skyy. It’s good for you!” Dennis had admonished, looking at the young man staring down at the bowl in front of him. He had watched Skyy hesitantly pick up his spoon and shove in a mouthful. He had also noticed the boy’s hand shaking slightly and his violet-blue eyes filling up.
“That’s not how you eat it, kid!” Dusty had commented. “You’re supposed to put milk and brown sugar on it. Haven’t you ever had porridge before?”
Skyy had looked up to Dennis for confirmation, “It’s allowed?”
“It’s allowed, little one.”
The two men now had a better understanding of why Skyy had acted the way he had.
“You know it always tasted better at your house, Den!” Skyy insisted, returning the hug and stepping back. “In fact everything is better at your house.”
“Did you pack your own lunch for school, Skyy?” Dusty asked, joining his partners at the kitchen table.
The younger man shook his head, “Nope, ‘cause I wasn’t supposed to touch anything. I’d get in trouble if I did. But I usually had a good lunch because Nonna packed one and would smuggle it out to me whenever I left for school. There would be sandwiches, fruit and homemade cookies......and fifty cents to buy milk. I found out when I was in junior high that the others used to chip in to help pay for everything. Neat, huh?”
Once again, Dennis and Dusty were left marveling at the contrasts between the beautiful and ugly aspects of Skyy’s childhood.
“And whenever Uncle Earl made a meal, he almost always gave me some,” Skyy informed them before asking. “Speaking of food, I’m hungry! Is it time to eat yet?”
“Well, Dominic and I were thinking about going out to pick up some KFC. How does that sound?” Dennis threw out the idea, just as Dominic and his Brats entered the room.
“Gross! I don’t want yucky-bucky!” complained Dusty.
Before any further comments could be made, a knock was heard and the front door opened to admit an older woman. Skyy’s face lit up as he ran over to throw his arms around her.
“Nonna, come ti senti oggi?” he asked how she was feeling today.
“Molto bene, Bambino. You all have been working so hard and must be getting hungry. Please come up to my apartment because we all got together and have a meal prepared.”
By late afternoon, the apartment had been completely emptied and cleaned.
“Thank goodness we’re finished,” Slade zealously stated. Like the others, he was happy to see the end of a long day.
“Are we leaving now, Dom?” Jayden asked his older partner.
“Yes. Say goodbye and go out to the truck. I’ll be right there.”
“Thanks, guys. We wouldn’t have been able to get it all done without your help,” Dennis said. “I’ll just return the key to Niko; then the boys and I will drop this last load off at the dump before heading home.”
“We’ll see you on Monday,” Dominic said, waving goodbye to Dusty and Skyy as he left the apartment.
“Hey, Skyy; have you ever seen these photos before?” Dusty inquired as he sorted through an old shoebox he had discovered hiding in the back of a closet. “Who are these guys?” he asked, holding up a picture. The Brats were sitting on the floor in the totally vacant living room waiting for Dennis’ return.
Kneeling up to look over Dusty’s shoulder, Skyy pointed to one of the men in the photo. “That’s Uncle Earl when he was much younger. He was really good-looking before he got sick.”
“Is the other guy your old man, Skyy?”
“Uh-huh!”
“Shit! He sure looks big…and mean!” Dusty started rooting around for more pictures of Skyy’s father and finding a more recent picture, exclaimed, “Wow! He’s even bigger in this one.”
“Well he was almost as tall as Dennis and weighed at least seventy-five pounds more.”
“This was the son-of-a-bitch that used to beat you up?” Dusty was incensed.
Skyy sat back on his heels looking embarrassed and uncomfortable. “You know, I used to do things to sort of get back at him though,” the younger man said, hoping to appease the other one.
“You did? Tell me some of the things you used to do to the bastard, Buddy,” Dusty requested, his curiosity having been piqued.
“As long as you don’t tell anyone, ‘cause they were sorta mean. He used to order me around and make me wait on him. He would only drink those big, one-and-a-half cans of beer. He expected me to have another ready whenever he finished one. He never drank out of a glass or anything......only the can. You can’t see into the can and I kept a good supply of dead bugs and flies on hand to add protein and extra flavour, if you know what I mean.” Both Brats burst out laughing.
“What else did you do?”
“Well, he had this special tea that he drank every other day or so. It didn’t come in bags; it was loose in a box and a different colour than most teas. It kinda looked a bit like the natural, organic-type fertilizer that Kenji uses in his garden. Sometimes it was hard to tell them apart, especially if I only used a little bit of the organic stuff and made sure to mix them together real good.”
“Tell me some more, little buddy,” Dusty begged, once he was able to stop laughing long enough to speak.
“Hmmmm, let’s see.” Skyy’s eyes were sparkling with the memory of past mischief. “I would get a bit of paste wax from Nonna and polish the soles of his slippers. I bet he had the shiniest slippers in town and he probably fell down more that anyone else I know.” Skyy grinned. Now that he had starting sharing these memories with his fellow-Brat, he couldn’t stop. “He used to complain to Earl that he was having weak-spells or something but Earl would tell him he was just an old drunk and to get up off the floor. Man, he’d look like he had mad-cow disease or something. And then there was the time I substituted his shower gel for that hair remover ‘Neet’. It took me two weeks of collecting empty pop-bottles so I’d have enough money to buy the stuff. Did he ever freak when his body hair started falling out.”
The Brats were actually rolling on the floor in hysterics and wiping tears from their faces.
“Did you ever get caught, Buddy?” Dusty asked.
“No! Man, I wouldn’t be alive to tell you about it if I had.” Thinking about his mother, Skyy sobered up and whispered. “He’d have killed me.” Shrugging his shoulders, he continued. “I always knew he didn’t want me around. He used to tell me I was more trouble than I was worth and that the day couldn’t come fast enough for him to be rid of me. I think Uncle Earl kinda suspected what I was up to but he never said anything. Uncle Earl wasn’t too bad……things would have been a lot worse if he hadn’t been around,” Skyy added reflectively.
To Skyy, it was just that simple. But to Dusty, who was starting to get a clearer picture of what this young man’s childhood had been like, it was heartbreaking.
“What do you want to do with these old photos, Skyy?” Dusty quietly asked, putting the lid back on the box.
“Just chuck ‘em, D,” Skyy murmured with a shrug of his shoulders.
Unknown to the young men, their partner had been quietly listening to their conversation. Hoping to put an end to the silence that had fallen, Dennis took a deep breath to settle his spiraling emotions, walked into the room and enthusiastically encouraged, “I think we’re ready to head for home, guys.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
“Man, this feels sooo good!” Dusty sighed, sinking lower into the hot bath water. “I was getting so sore from hauling all that furniture around. I hope we don’t have to do something like that again for a good long while.”
“If it wasn’t for Dominic, Slade and Jayden’s help, we’d still be working at it!” Dennis reminded his partner, wrapping an arm around the other man’s shoulders, pulling him closer and gently kissing his lips.
“Do you want to finish this?” Skyy asked, holding up a bottle. Getting affirmative nods from the other men, he topped up their glasses. “And another one bits the dust,” he sang, leaning over the side of the tub and putting the empty wine bottle on the floor.
Laughing, Dennis reached over and pulled his youngest Brat down to his side and soundly kissed him.
“You’re perfectly welcomed to have a drink if you’d like, Skyy. It can be very relaxing and I’d prefer you to learn to drink responsibly at home.”
“No, thanks!” Skyy settled in against the bigger man’s chest. “But the wine on your lips tastes good.”
“By the way, Sport, it’s time you got a haircut,” Dennis commented, pushing the wet curls out of his face. “Your hair is almost down to your shoulder blades.”
“That’s because it’s wet.”
“No, it’s because it’s too long. I would like you to get it done this week.”
“But I should be able to have my hair as long as I want.”
“We go through this every six weeks, Skyy. What’s the deal?”
“That I don’t let it get past my shoulders…..dry! I’ll go before next weekend, Den,” Skyy promised begrudgingly.
“Good idea, Buddy, ‘cause you’re starting to look like a girl,” Dusty teased and ended up with a face full of water as Skyy retaliated.
“That’s enough, boys!” Dennis admonished, pushing himself up. “Everyone out!”
“Yours and Dusty’s families are all coming over here tomorrow for Thanksgiving, right?” Skyy asked, drying himself for the second time before pulling a T-shirt over his head.
“Yes. It’s become a tradition for everyone to get together at this time every year and it is our turn to host the affair. There will be thirteen adults, plus our two-year-old nephew,” Dennis replied, stepping into his boxers and informing the two younger men of the plans for the evening. “It’s going to be another busy day tomorrow so I think it would be a good idea to have an early night.”
“How did you come up with that number of adults, Den?” Dusty mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste.
“My sister, Laura, is bringing her newest boyfriend; Jacob something or other,” Dennis answered, turning on the hair dryer and passing it to Skyy.
“Curtis and Bernice will be here, too!” Skyy stated and followed Dennis’ unspoken instructions to blow-dry his mop of hair while chuckling at Dusty’s exaggerated groan of pending doom.
“At least we have Monday to look forward to,” Dusty commented. “We always get together with Dominic and Slade and Jayden, to drive into the city and watch the Octoberfest Parade.”
“Yeah! Dennis invited my family for dinner and anyone who wants to, can come to the parade with us. Man, I can hardly wait.” Skyy had a dreamy look on his face as he thought ahead to what would be a fun-filled day.
~~~~~~~~~~~
“How long have you two been up?” Dusty asked, slicing a banana onto his cereal. The table had been set in the dining room and delicious smells were permeating the kitchen.
“We’ve been up for over two hours, sleepyhead,” Dennis answered. “But don’t worry; there are still a few things to do. We left the potatoes for you to peel.” He laughed at the pained expression on the young man’s face.
“Can’t I do something else? I hate doing those.” Dusty’s partners were aware of his aversion to getting his hands dirty.
“Sorry, that’s the last major chore.” Dennis didn’t look at all apologetic. “It’s after ten and our guests will start arriving in less than two hours and we don’t want to be rushing around at the last minute.”
By one o’clock everyone was seated around the large dining room table. They were enjoying a wonderful meal in the company of friends and loved-ones. Only the smallest member of the family seemed out-of-sorts.
“I’m sorry he’s so cranky,” Sara apologized. “He’s cutting a couple of new teeth and he is not too happy about it.”
“Maybe you should have considered leaving him at home,” suggested Bernice, nastily. As always, she was finding a child’s presence distasteful.
It was at that moment that little Keaton decided he didn’t want the sweet potatoes on his plate. Gathering the vegetables up in his chubby hand, he let them fly; right into Bernice’s lap.
“Oh, you beastly creature!” she shouted, getting to her feet and wiping the food from her skirt. “Children have no place in adult company, especially when the parents apparently are unable to control them.” She continued to rant and rave, making her displeasure known to everyone in the room. “To think that you are having a second one is absolutely appalling.”
Sara burst into tears and grabbing up her young son, ran from the room. Rodney stood up and glared at Bernice in disgust for a few moments before following his wife. He would have like to make a comment or two, but didn’t feel this was the appropriate place to say what he had in mind.
“Well, Mother and Father, you’ve just witnessed another good reason as to why you will never be grandparents. Bernice and I would never subject our friends and acquaintances to that kind of uncivilized behaviour.” Curtis soothed his wife’s ruffled feathers, oblivious to the uncomfortable silence that filled the room.
Skyy looked from one person to another, waiting for someone to say something.....anything. When there was only continued silence, he decided to speak up.
“I’m sure the world is more than appreciative of your noble sacrifice not to bring any more people like yourselves into it.” Because of his innocence and his lack of social graces, he was not inhibited like Rodney had been.
Bernice gasped at Skyy’s remark; Curtis’ face turn an unattractive, vermilion colour; Dennis’ father, Phillip, tried to hide a smile behind his napkin, and Dennis turned a glare on his youngest Brat that should have set the boy on fire. He was well aware of the young man’s ability to use biting sarcasm as a weapon whenever he was disturbed enough to do so.
“Skyylar!” Dennis admonished, warningly.
“Whaaat! They didn’t have to say such mean things and make Sara cry. Just because they’re miserable, unhappy people, doesn’t give them the right to hurt someone else.” Skyy couldn’t understand why nobody had ever mentioned this to Curtis and Bernice before.
“I expect you to apologize, Skyylar. Right now!” Dennis spoke quietly but firmly.
“NO!” Skyy shouted. Temper flaring, he pushed back his chair, stood up and stamped his foot. “And, Dennis, don’t you dare apologize for me either!” he yelled as he left the room and fled up the stairs.
Dusty stared open-mouthed at Skyy, unable to believe his fellow-Brat’s behaviour.
“Personally, I think if there are any apologies to be handed out, it should be my son and daughter-in-law to offer them,” Leonard suggested, looking pointedly at Curtis and Bernice.
“That’s absurd! We have absolutely nothing to apologize for,” Curtis said. “And as far as that obnoxious, street urchin is concerned, just when are you planning to get rid of him. I would have thought after seven months the little guttersnipe would have more than worn out his welcome.”
“If anyone is close to wearing out their welcome in our home, Curtis, it is you.” Dennis’ voice was cold and succinct as he worked to maintain his temper while setting straight a few facts. Reaching for Dusty’s hand, he announced, “This is Skyy’s home. He is a permanent member of this family. Skyy, Dusty and I are partners. It is unfortunate if anyone has a problem with this but I want it clearly understood that I put these two young men before anyone else in my life.”
Laura jumped up and threw her arms around her brother’s neck. “I’m so glad you’ve finally telling us Skyy’s going to be staying here,” she said emotionally. “I wondered how long it was going to take you to make it official.” She walked over to high-five Dusty before returning to her seat next to Jacob.
Dusty’s parents, Leonard and Millicent, smiled and nodded their approval. Dennis’ parents, having been given some of the details of Skyy’s childhood, seemed pleased with their son’s declaration. Curtis and Bernice sat there in stony silence, neither of them voicing an opinion one way or another.
“Would anyone like some dessert?” Janet offered in hopes of getting back to the happier atmosphere that the holiday called for.
“I’m sure I have room for another mouthful or two,” Phillip assured his wife, patting his stomach and gently smiling at her to show his appreciation.
The mood improved dramatically over dessert and coffee, especially when Rodney and Sara rejoined the family to continue in their Thanksgiving celebration.
“Skyy has offered to watch over Keaton,” Sara offered as an explanation for the young man’s absence.
An hour later, good-byes were exchanged along with hugs, kisses, and heart-felt comments about how delicious the meal had been and what a wonderful time had been had by all.
Dennis and Dusty stood beside Rodney and Sara, smiling down at Skyy and Keaton sleeping contentedly on the bed in the guestroom.
“They look like angels,” Rodney commented.
“It is hard to believe that they had such an impact on a situation that could have turned out so much worse than it did.” Dennis slowly shook his head, remembering his Brat’s handling of the nasty comments that had been made and the unpleasant position they had found themselves in.
“Everything ended just fine, Dennis,” Sara assured him, picking up Keaton in preparation for taking him home. “I’m so happy to hear that Skyy will be with you and Dusty for hopefully, a very long time.” Handing her son over to his father, she bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the sleeping, young man’s forehead.
Waving farewell to the last of their guests, Dusty reminded Dennis. “It probably won’t be this good next year because it’ll be Curtis and Bernice’s turn to host our annual Family Thanksgiving Dinner.” Both men walked back into the house together and made valiant efforts not to shudder at the thought.
It didn’t take long for their home to be returned to its’ usual orderly condition. Dennis had left Skyy sleeping during the clean up, but it was now time to have a discussion about some of the afternoon’s events.
“What do you think you could have done differently, Skyy?” Dennis asked once they were seated on the sofa in his study.
“I don’t know and I don’t understand why I’m in trouble when it was Curtis and Bernice who started it. I wasn’t trying to be rude or nasty or anything; I was just telling the truth.”
“Most of the things you said may have been true, little one, but the time and place were definitely ill-chosen. All these people here today were not only our guests; they are members of our family and some were made very uncomfortable by things that were said. You are going to have to learn not only what is or isn’t appropriate to say but also when and where to say it. I will not allow you to behave incorrectly just because someone else is being unpleasant. I want you to write a note of apology to everyone that was here today.”
“Even Curtis and Bernice?” Skyy asked, his nose wrinkling in distaste.
Dennis nodded his head. “Yes, even Curtis and Bernice.”
“Can’t I just say sorry to you and Dusty?” Skyy didn’t see the point in writing a note to the people who lived in the same house with him.
“No, you’ll write it out because that way you will give it more thought.”
“Okay!” Skyy reluctantly agreed.
“Thank you! Now we have another matter up for discussion, young man.”
Skyy knew this was coming. He squirmed around and tried to avoid looking in the older man’s face.
“Do you say no to me, Skyy?” Dennis asked sternly.
“Sometimes......maybe?” Skyy looked up hopefully.
“You want to rethink that, little boy?”
“Ahhh, no....I mean....no, I’m not suppose to say it.”
“Is it your place to tell me what to do, Skyy?”
Skyy shook his head and mumbled. “No, sir.”
“Who make the decisions in our home and why?”
“You do, because Dusty and I want you to.”
“Are tantrums an acceptable way of dealing with situations that are upsetting us?”
Again Skyy sat there, shook his head and said in a small voice, “No, sir.”
“What happens when you let your temper get the better of you, Skyy?”
“I get spanked,” he murmured.
“That’s right,” Dennis agreed, reaching for his young partner and pulling him across his knees.
Ten minutes passed before Skyy’s crying had died down to sniffles and his tears had started to dry on his cheeks. Dennis pushed back the sweaty curls hanging in his Brat’s eyes and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “You’re okay, baby. It’s over and I am very confident this conversation will not have to be repeated any time soon,” he said, tenderly smiling into the beautiful face of the young man sitting on his lap.
“I’m sorry, Den; for not listening to you and talking back and being rude and everything. I didn’t mean for it to happen....it just did. I got so ticked-off when I saw Sara crying and nobody doing anything about it; not you, not Rodney, not Leonard or Millicent, not anybody. Why?”
“Because, little one, there is a right time and place for everything. We were together to celebrate Thanksgiving, not get into a family feud. It’s a time to be thankful for one another and not let minor inconveniences take away from that. We are all aware of how insensitive and thoughtless some members of the family are and in order to keep the peace, we just have to tolerate them. Well, up to a point anyway,” Dennis added dryly, thinking of the uncalled-for comments made regarding his youngest partner. “Sara will tell you that she is more easily hurt at this time because of her pregnancy. Most of us try not to put too much importance on either Curtis or Bernice’s opinions.”
“In other words, I’m just to ignore them when they’re being mean and snobbish, right?”
“You got it, Sport. Do you want some time with Dusty now?” At the younger man’s nod, Dennis set Skyy on his feet and helped him adjust his clothing before walking with him out to the living room where their other partner was curled up on the couch. His Brats needed private time together whenever one of them had been punished. After seeing them settled, Dennis headed down the hall towards the kitchen.
Straightening out, Dusty opened his arms to enfold his fellow-Brat. “You okay, little buddy?” he whispered.
“Yeah; my butt’s sore is all,” Skyy answered and sniffed from his comfortable position, stretched over Dusty’s larger frame. He lifted his head and cupping his chin in his hands, looked at Dusty and complained. “I have to send notes of apology to everyone and that’s okay, but writing one to your brother and his wife is going to be soooo hard.”
“Why is that?”
“I’m not sorry for what I said. I’m just sorry for when and how I said it.”
“Then just think about that when you’re doing up the notes,” Dusty suggested, hugging the smaller man.
“Hmmm, I guess that’ll work,” Skyy whispered, putting down his head and cuddling in closer.
Dennis came into the room a short time later and reminded them that Skyy hadn’t had any dessert. The young men got up and followed their partner back into the kitchen to enjoy the treat he had set out for them.
“Thanks, Den; this is delicious,” Skyy mumbled through a mouthful of pie. He was sitting on one side of the counter beside Dusty and smiling across at Dennis. After swallowing the food he had in his mouth, he said thoughtfully, “You know, we have a lot to be thankful for. ‘Cause counting Uncle Earl, our combined family members number over twenty and only two of them are……well, sometimes not very nice. That means over ninety percent of us are really neat people. Not bad, eh?”
“Skyy, Earl isn’t really your uncle,” Dusty reminded his fellow-Brat.
“I know that! But, D, none of my family are blood relatives. We’re all kinda……hmm, love relatives, ‘cause circumstances sort of placed us with each other.”
Nodding his head, Dusty agreed with Skyy’s conclusions. “Yeah, guess you’ve got something there, Buddy.”
Shoveling in the last mouthful of pie and washing it down with the rest of his milk, Skyy swallowed and quietly asked, “Am I still going to have dinner with everyone tomorrow and go the parade, Den?”
“Of course, sweetheart, why wouldn’t you be?” Most times Dennis marveled at Skyy’s ability to put things so simply but then there were the times when the older man didn’t understand where the younger one was coming from.
Skyy shrugged his shoulders and replied. “I didn’t know if I’d be allowed after the way I behaved today.”
“Sweetie, once we’ve discussed a broken rule and you’ve been punished, it’s over with. If there is additional punishment involved, you’ll be told about it up front. Understand, Sport?” Getting a beaming smile and a nod of acceptance, Dennis added. “Besides, you have to go to the parade if you’re going to be able to write about it in your Project binder, right?”
Skyy leaned over the counter to throw his arms around his lover’s neck and plant a kiss on his lips. “Youbetcha!” he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy. “This is turning out to be a great Thanksgiving weekend, isn’t it?” he declared and turned to embrace his other partner.
Dennis laughed and licked his lips. “Hmm, apple pie, ice cream, and chocolate milk.....not bad!”
The End
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